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Original poster

OMG help - carpet nightmare

107 replies

LigPatin · 03/01/2020 21:58

posting for traffic.
I live with my OH and he's selling the house, where we will be moving to a house we own together.
He has had new carpets fitted really recently, which was a huge deal for him as the upstairs was bare floorboards for about 4 years due to some electrical work that kept getting delayed.

He's mega precious about the house anyway (gets really upset if theres a mark on the wall, if the dog gets mud on the skirting etc) and is spending all day, everyday renovating the house ready for sale.

Also, things are really stressy at the moment because of the new house.

I've just spilt dry PIGMENT on the new carpet in the spare bedroom. PIGMENT! (used for making paint). I tripped and the box fell from my hands Sad

This stuff is evil and it 110% stains (its pthalo green of all bloody colours, one of the most evil pigments).

He's downstairs and didn't hear me fall.

It's dry, so I'm hoping the majority will hoover up but I can't hoover until tomorrow morning when he's out walking the dog, because if he hears me hoovering now he'll know what's happened.
I'm not convinced hoovering will get it all up.

Carpet is dark grey, sort of speckled so at least it isn't white - worst case is I can pay to have someone come and replace it but I'd rather not own up to it if I can help it; he's already really stressed out.

HELP!

Has anyone had anything similar happen? How the fuck do I get pigment out of a carpet?!

OP posts:
NumbersStation · 03/01/2020 23:11

Glad all is well Smile and hope the replacement is as cheap as you think.

It is a rather beautiful green. Grin. I’d be saving a bit of it in a frame so you can chuckle over it every once in a while.

SisterSistine · 03/01/2020 23:09

Get on to a professional carpet cleaner, don't try and do it yourselves. I've seen them cope with all sorts of disasters on our local FB group. Toddlers with sudocrem. Nail varnish. Full tins of paint. But if you try and do it yourself you might make it harder for them.

Turquiose · 03/01/2020 23:08

He sounds lovely and thoughtful that his main concern was you. Without meaning to be patronising well done for telling him. Better than worrying about it. What a corker of a spill though! 😂 😂

DickDewy · 03/01/2020 23:00

Glad he’s not cross! It’s a terrible stain, but also a terrible carpet from what I can see. 🤷‍♀️

Claim on your house insurance.

eddielizzard · 03/01/2020 22:58

Ahh lovely result

Original poster
LigPatin · 03/01/2020 22:57

It's not an expensive carpet - I say "high end rental" meaning that its the kind that landlords choose when they don't want to fork out for a fancy carpet as its "just a rental" but still want the place to look decent. In fact we've looked it up and it was £9 per square metre (we have a bargain basement style carpet place near us) - and the room is about 4 square metres.

OP posts:
L0bstersLass · 03/01/2020 22:57

So pleased you've told him and that he's seeing the light side of it.

Original poster
LigPatin · 03/01/2020 22:54

I went downstairs really upset and told him.

The thing that upset him the most was that I was so upset; he gave me a hug and the first thing he asked was whether I was okay after falling down.

He went upstairs and did say "oh Jesus" when he saw it (the photo doesn't do it justice - it's VERY green) but wasn't cross at all, and just said "it's done now" and we talked through some cleaning options.

He told me that his friend's wife was messing around with the exact same shade of green, in paint form, and spilt it on their brand new carpet a few years ago and it was a huge drama. He's taken a photo, sent it to the mate with the caption "so you think YOUR carpet is green?!"

He's laughing about it already and says its going to be the conversation starter for the next few years.

OP posts:
mumwon · 03/01/2020 22:54

cold water slightly damp jclothe & neat washing up liquid try small area do in circles going outwards than slightly damp fresh j clothe & rinse same way use dryer clothe to take up stains doing same (but vacuum first)

imnotarunnerivetried · 03/01/2020 22:54

Swarfega?

Hellbentwellwent · 03/01/2020 22:53

If it’s only the spare room it’s presumably a smallish area? I’d call the carpet place and explain, ask if they have any of the same carpet in an off cut that would cover it, lay on the sob story and see what sort of deal they’ll do you!

BreconBeBuggered · 03/01/2020 22:53

Yikes. Telling him won't be fun, but anticipating that isn't something you want to be sleeping on, trust me.

Lougle · 03/01/2020 22:51

Oh that's big Shock When I had just moved into a new rental, I had lovely cream carpets fitted. Our house was still in unpacking stage with units everywhere for the kitchen. A friend came around with her 3 year old and he dug through my handbag and found a lipstick. 10 minutes after making a cup of tea, I thought 'he sounds quiet...' and found him giggling under a blanket. He had drawn all over my carpets with lipstick.

I did claim on the insurance after trying to wash it out. A carpet cleaner came out and got it out beautifully. Depending on the substance you need to change to cleaning agent.

GoldfishRampage · 03/01/2020 22:50

Yikes. That’s very stained. Have you any spare bits of carpet left over. Could you just replace a patch of carpet? If you are selling it then it won’t matter too much.

cattaxi · 03/01/2020 22:49

Tell him! You really should be able to talk to him about stuff like this if you are buying a house together.
Hoover it up ASAP. Rug doctor carpet wipes are pretty amazing. They got spots of navy paint off my beige bedroom carpet amongst other things.

ThebishopofBanterbury · 03/01/2020 22:49

Get a rug.

AdamantEve · 03/01/2020 22:48

I would leave it now & get a professional carpet cleaner in to look at it - my children stained our cream carpet and I locked the stain in by trying remedies that I found online so would avoid doing anything to it yourself.

thenightsky · 03/01/2020 22:48

Wow. I think that's an insurance claim.

Marnie76 · 03/01/2020 22:47

Bite the bullet and tell him. Good luck.

Thorn90 · 03/01/2020 22:46

Oh OP I feel for you. I'm also SUPER clumsy and this is my DP's pet peeve about me. Last week I was carrying a used bottle of hair dye down stairs and dropped it. It bounced and hit three of the stairs leaving hair dye splatters on the carpet. By some miracle I managed to get the stain out without him noticing thank fook!

Gazelda · 03/01/2020 22:46

My head says that I always tell my DD to fess up because the cover up is worse than the mistake.

But I can understand your angst.

The reality is that you've not been able to fix it. You gave no choice but to tell him. Apologise, tell him you'll organise professional clean or replacement if insurance will not cover. Tell him you we're anxious to tell him because you don't want to add to his stress, but then you reminded yourself that he'll realise it was an accident and nothing that can't be sorted.

Good luck.

DracarysThis · 03/01/2020 22:46

Only on MN would we get a stealth boast about the type of carpet someone has.

TheSubtleArt · 03/01/2020 22:46

Oops.
For now, pop that box over it.
Tomorrow, get some proper advice from a carpet cleaning company.
Good luck!!!

AlwaysCheddar · 03/01/2020 22:46

Bicarbonate Soda?

DragonMamma · 03/01/2020 22:45

Yikes. That’s got be ruined. Surely? I’d chuck all the tips you can find at it but fully expect to replace.

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